Once Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, “Holding absolute power is hersey” but the current Muslim world is now itself entangled in the quest of supremacy and power. Since years the whole Islamic fraternity has viewed the gulf countries as their guiding force.

In the entire episode, Saudi Arabia has many reasons to be blamed for the current condition of Muslims. There are some basic reasons to say so. Firstly, Saudi Arabia was the strongest ally to US and Israel to create global terrorism. Secondly, Saudi Kingdom is the biggest enemy to Islam and revival of Islamic ideology. Thirdly, the selfish approach of Saudi leadership on global issues or humanitarian crisis like the recent Rohingya issues is not only anti-human but also anti-Islam.

Well, the world should also understand that Arabs have never ruled or led world during Islam’s glorious history. It was the Ottoman Empire, the Turks who led the Muslim world to glory.

It becomes quite ironical that who preaches so much vigorously about Islam has been in the blind quest of power with the help of third parties against their own brother nations. Once a scholar said “The best way to defend Islam is to practice Islam” but it seems that Saudi Arabia don’t implement the ideology of Islam. Even Saudi Arabia alignment with United States and Israel has been considered “Certainly a betrayal” of the Muslims by the Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Isn’t it ironical that when it comes to practice Islam that KSA seems stern with its outdated laws:

Harsh laws for petty crimes

Minimal freedom to press (In Practicality)

Almost zero freedom to women

Polygamous practices of kings and princes

Zero involvement of women in sports and other cultural events

But when it comes to practice the brotherhood of Islam; its’ dictatorship and alignment with those nations who are the real haters comes into actions. Has KSA forgot the mass massacre of USA in Iraq and his attitude towards Iran or they just have segregated the divine Allah in the name of Shia and Sunni as KSA is equally opposed to the ally nations of Iran and are supporting the oppositions in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. How could the US president Donald Trump could have dared to consider the fate of Arab nations without the betrayal of Saudi Arabia. The wrongdoings of Saudi Arabia has not been condemned by Iran but also by the other Muslim nations as quite evident in the conference of the representatives of various Muslim countries in Tehran.

As the year ended, it becomes quite more important to look at their economic performance instead of getting themselves into the political turmoil. According to the World Bank, the economic conditions of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries is a severe concern.

Bahrain: The GDP growth projections will show a downward fall of 1.9% in 2017 and inflation would increase up to 2.1%.

Kuwait: The GDP growth will slow down up to 2,5% in 2017.

Oman: The budget deficit will reach almost 14% in and a budgeted deficit of 10.7% in GDP in 2017.

Qatar: Recovering from its 2.5% decline in GDP in 2016, it will achieve a growth of 3.3% in 2017.

United Arab Emirates: There could be a growth of 2% in 2017 owing to the OPEC-mandated oil production costs in contrast to the federal government target of 4%.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA): The GDP growth is projected to be 0.6% in 2017.

Indeed some may claim the words of Khamenei politically and diplomatically motivated but they themselves would not be able to ignore. “The world of Islam, with such a large population and plenty of facilities, can certainly create a great power within the world and become influential through unity,” said the Iranian supreme leader. But can Muslims learn from this?

Nitish Raj is an MBA dropout from a renowned management institute of India. Reading novels is his passion and so is writing opinion-editorials and non-fiction articles on social issues related to women empowerment, gender equality, caste system, social transformation. His favourite books are The White Tiger, Eleven Minutes, The Da Vinci Code, Animal Farm amongst many others. Some of his favourite authors are Paulo Coelho, Dan Brown, Munshi Premchand, Franz Kafka, Charles Dickens, etc.
Though not a movie freak by fashion, he loves analysing and interpreting Bollywood movie themes and connecting them with real life issues. Notes On A Scandal, Paycheck, Arth, Dil Se, etc. are some of his favourite movies. He has won about 12 awards for academic excellence, other quiz and scholarship competitions and winner of Corporate Quiz Contest, Inter- College Competition, State-Level Quiz Contest and star achiever in organization during the project completion among many others. He is also working on a couple of fiction books on women empowerment and other women issues.

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